Seattle Animal Shelter news and events

Archives for May 2017

Seattle Animal Shelter invites animal lovers to register for the June 11 run at Seward Park

Register now for the Seattle Animal Shelter’s 18th annual Furry 5K run/walk happening at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 11, 2017, at Seward Park. Each year, the fun run attracts thousands of two-legged runners accompanied by hundreds of their four-legged furry companions. All proceeds directly support the shelter’s Help the Animals Fund. To register or for more information, visit http://www.furry5k.com.

The Help the Animals Fund was created in 1977 to pay for lifesaving veterinary care for sick, injured and abused animals at the shelter. As the shelter’s veterinary needs grew, volunteers started the Furry 5K in 1999 to raise money for the fund and to raise awareness about responsible pet ownership. Last year, the fund covered nearly $250,000 in veterinary bills.

“The Furry 5K helped our shelter become a lifesaving organization. SAS is an open-admissions shelter and accepts any animal that is surrendered or found within Seattle city limits,” said Ann Graves, Seattle Animal Shelter’s acting director. “Thanks to the generous Furry 5K donors, we are able to also provide them with a range of veterinary services and ensure all adoptable animals are placed into loving homes.”

Shelter staff anticipates this year’s Furry 5K will draw more than 2,000 people and 1,000 canines. In-person registration begins at 10 a.m. The race will be followed by Pet-a-Palooza, featuring entertainment, music, contests, awards and an interactive vendor area. Admission to Pet-a-Palooza is free. The Furry 5K is one of the few races in the Puget Sound area that encourages participants to run or walk with their dogs.

The Seattle Animal Shelter, located at 2061 15th Ave. W., is open from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday for adoptions and licensing. For more information, call 206-386-PETS (7387) or visit http://www.seattleanimalshelter.org.

It’s happening all around the city. Our feathered friends are busy raising their young, and you may very well encounter a baby bird out of the nest that may — or may not — need a helping hand. But how do you know if you should help?

Check out this handy flowchart to help you determine if you should help that baby bird or leave it be. And remember — if you’re in Seattle and you see an animal in distress, call the Seattle Animal Shelter at 206-386-PETS (7387). Visit us online at www.seattleanimalshelter.org for more information.

SAS says protect your pets, especially on 70-degree, sunny days

Even if you park your car in the shade, the sun’s movement can quickly put your car in your direct sunlight.

Spring weather has finally appeared for Seattle, which means open windows and more time outdoors. As people start to enjoy time outside with their pets, the Seattle Animal Shelter is reminding pet owners that, even on 70-degree days, it is not safe to leave their furry loved ones in vehicles.

Even if the ambient temperature is cool, studies have shown it’s a sunny day that can cause a car’s interior temperature to rise by an average of 40 degrees within an hour, said Ann Graves, Seattle Animal Shelter acting director.

“When the day starts out overcast and cool, pet owners sometimes have a false sense of safety,” Graves said. “But an overcast day can turn to a sunny day in the blink of an eye, and cars will get hot, very fast – and cracking the windows doesn’t help. It’s not worth the risk to leave your pet in a vehicle, on overcast days and especially sunny ones.”

A 2015 Washington state law makes it a violation just to leave an animal unattended in a vehicle or enclosed space, if the animal could be harmed or killed by exposure to excessive heat or cold, lack of ventilation or lack of water. Penalties under this law are in addition to potential animal cruelty charges. Graves reminded the public that the shelter’s humane law enforcement officers responding to calls about animals left in hot cars will utilize all means necessary to access vehicles to remove the animals if they believe the animals are in distress.

The Seattle Animal Shelter offers the following tips for protecting pets on sunny days and during hot weather:

If you must travel with your pet, carry water. If a trip requires you leave your pet in the car at any point, think about saving that for another day. It’s not worth the risk.

Never leave dogs or cats unattended in a closed, locked vehicle. Animals do not perspire like humans; they cool themselves by panting. Vinyl, leather and even cloth seats in vehicles get hot under animals’ feet and prevent them from perspiring through their paws.

Never leave your animal tethered or kenneled in direct sunlight. Provide a shady area for retreat, such as a dog house, porch or shady tree, and always provide access to cool water.

If you leave animals indoors, open screened windows, keep a fan running, provide plenty of water and, if possible, leave them in a cool location.

Avoid overexerting your animal in hot weather. Exercise is fine when taken in moderation, but obesity, old age, underlying disease and previous bouts of heat stroke can predispose an animal to the condition.

For birds, take caution and place the bird’s cage away from direct sunlight during the intense heat of the afternoon. Provide water and fruits and vegetables with high moisture content.

If you see an animal that may be in need of assistance, or if you have questions, contact the Seattle Animal Shelter at 206-386-PETS (7387). Information is also available online at http://www.seattleanimalshelter.org.

Dr. Nick Urbanek, director of shelter medicine, cares for SAS’ animals with resources from the Help the Animals Fund.

Now a regular fixture in Seattle Animal Shelter’s designated clinic room, Dr. Nick Urbanek doesn’t get much downtime. As the new director of shelter medicine, Urbanek provides veterinary evaluation and treatment for the many animals – dogs, cats and critters – that come under the shelter’s care.

“There are a thousand distractions here,” said Urbanek. “It’s never quiet.”

The shelter made large strides by hiring him as an in-house veterinarian in February 2017, but Urbanek said SAS still needs more veterinarian resources.

To raise funds for Urbanek’s veterinary efforts and the shelter’s Help the Animals Fund, SAS will host its annual Furry 5K on Sunday, June 11 at Seward Park. According to Director of Volunteer and Community Engagement Ania Beszterda-Alyson, these funds cover examination bills, spay/neuter surgeries and rehabilitating animal cruelty and neglect victims.

“The event was founded by shelter volunteers who, through their daily interactions with homeless and abandoned animals, saw that private donations were greatly needed for our municipal shelter to become a lifesaving organization,” said Beszterda-Alyson. “Injured, abused and neglected animals need veterinary care, medications and sometimes surgeries to become adoptable and find loving homes. Furry 5K donations save lives of the most vulnerable animals in our community.”

SAS is an open-admissions shelter and accepts any animal that is surrendered or found within Seattle city limits. (Animals from outside Seattle are accepted on a space-available basis.) According to Beszterda-Alyson, these animals are usually the ones turned away by private animal welfare organizations.

“My goal and hope is to provide quality veterinary care (medical, surgical and behavioral) for all animals in our care,” said Urbanek. “It’s a seemingly simple goal but requires a lot of coordination starting from the moment an animal comes through the shelter’s door.”

Before Urbanek came on board, SAS would send animals with medical needs to local veterinary clinics. But the excitement of being transported from the shelter to medical facilities often created anxiety for the pets. And while the shelter can now handle medical conditions on-site or in foster care, the diagnostics and treatments can be very costly, Urbanek said.

Last year, the charitable donations from the Furry 5k helped 3,715 animals at SAS, according to Beszterda-Alyson. This year, the shelter hopes to raise $120,000 for veterinary care and rehabilitation of shelter dogs, cats and critters.

“Our live save rate says we are doing a fantastic job at making positive outcomes happen,” said Urbanek.